


Best for Winter

by bratfarrar



Category: Winter's Tale - Shakespeare
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-20
Updated: 2013-05-20
Packaged: 2017-12-12 09:04:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/809810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bratfarrar/pseuds/bratfarrar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mamillius tells a story; one last moment of sweetness before the world goes mad. [<i>The Winter's Tale</i>, II.i]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Best for Winter

“There was a man—” Mamillius begins his tale, grave as only an innocent can be. But there is a hint of laughter lurking in his eyes which bodes well for the man he will become.

“Nay, come, sit down; then on.” His mother, laughing, takes his hand and pulls him to her; her lap’s already full with his unborn sibling, but there’s room on the bench beside her. Mamillius goes with good grace, leans in so only she can hear the story.

“—Dwelt by a churchyard: I will tell it softly; yond crickets shall not hear it.” The ‘crickets’, his mother’s ladies-in-waiting, go back to their sewing, gossiping quietly in their corners. And his mother leans her head against his, listening with eyes closed.

In a moment the door will burst open, interrupting the story-teller; his father will storm in, fury and madness written in every line of his face; the queen will be sent to prison; Mamillius will be sent to his room to weep, to pine, to shatter the hopes of an expectant nation; the tale will go unfinished.

But all that hasn’t happened yet. Now, there is only the tale, the teller and the listener.


End file.
